Ohio House Bill aims to encourage medical professionals to volunteer at free clinics

By
John Arthur Hutchison, The News-Herald

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Legislation has been introduced in Ohio to encourage medical professionals to volunteer at free clinics and to give patients who qualify for Medicaid greater access to health care options.

Ohio House Bill 320 is sponsored by state Rep. Ron Young, R-Leroy Township, and the measure would permit a retired health care professional to hold a volunteer’s certificate to provide certain health care services without compensation at any location, including a free clinic, according to a bill summary by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission.

It also would authorize the state Board of Nursing to issue a volunteer’s certificate to a retired Registered Nurse or licensed practical nurse under specified conditions.

Currently retired nurses may not obtain a volunteer certificate and therefore cannot practice in a free clinic without having an active license, Young said, adding many would like to serve, but the cost of licensing can be an obstacle.

The volunteer certificate would be free and those who obtain one would not be permitted to receive payment for services.

The legislation would extend a qualified immunity from civil liability to volunteer health care professionals providing services without compensation to individuals eligible for or receiving Medicaid.

It also would create a state income tax deduction for certain health care professionals and workers who provide volunteer services at free clinics including for mileage to and from free clinics.

Young said free clinics play a critical role in health care delivery and he discovered there are ways state law could potentially be changed to help them recruit and retain volunteers.

“They help to reduce inappropriate use of hospital emergency rooms and provide critically needed care, which allows many citizens to hold jobs and be productive members of our communities,” he said.

The state legislator said free clinics provide life-saving drugs such as insulin for diabetic patients.

“Reduction in illness, sometimes by something as easy as a doctor visit and provision of 10 days’ worth of antibiotics, translates directly to reduction in lost work, lost wages, and lost time from school and sports,” Young said. “This results in an increase in active participation in our communities, strengthens families, and builds self esteem.”

Because Medicaid patients sometimes have a problem getting timely access to medical care, the bill allows Medicaid recipients to be treated in a free clinic setting by doctors and nurses that have a Volunteer Certificate, he said.

As part of the legislation, doctors who volunteer for no pay at free clinics and provide care for Medicaid patients, would be protected from medical malpractice through provisions of the Good Samaritan Act.

The bill also would create the Free Clinic Appreciation Month each December with the hope that more people would become aware of the contributions free clinics make and encourage them to donate more time and money to make them more successful.

Young has worked extensively on the legislation with the Lake County Free Clinic in Painesville and the bill has had two hearings in Columbus in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Executive Director Johanna Henz said her agency at 54 S. State St., treats more than 3,000 people each year and she welcomes the opportunity to make it easier to encourage medical professionals to volunteer their services.

There are about 50 medical professionals who volunteer to provide services sometimes only as often as once a month or quarterly, Henz said. If more people were able to volunteer then more patients could be helped.

“For every appointment we fill, there are three other people who could use it,” Henz said. “But it’s hard for a clinic like ours, our staff is very small. We don’t have a person dedicated for volunteer recruitment and retention. It’s part of everyone’s job.”

She said many retired doctors and nurses decide it’s just not worth the time and expense to pay for everything necessary to be able to volunteer at a free clinic.

That decision recently came into play for a volunteer dentist who had seen patients two days per month at the free clinic.

Henz said the dentist eventually decided to leave so the Free Clinic currently has just one dentist who visits one day per month.

She also cautioned there will still be a need for free clinics to provide care when the national Affordable Care Act is implemented because some people will still be uninsured especially if they choose to pay a penalty to not buy insurance or they may not be able to afford their insurance coverage.